Edmonds j



(No Model.)

B. J. SUGDEN.

WHIPFLETREE 0R NECK YOKE IRON.

No. 398,553. Patented Feb. 26, 1889.

WWW/WWW INVENTOR. W

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDMON DB 1. SFGDICN, ()F PI'IWSHIIITG, IIDYXSYLVA NIA.

WHIFFLETREE. OR NECK-YOKE IRON.

EsPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 398,553, dated February 26, 1889.

Application filed June 19, 1888, Serial No. 277,534. 1N0 model.)

.where the bar is attached to the vehicle at or near the middle. lleretofore these articles have been made of wood, and while attempts have been made to construct them of metal the metal articles have not been desirable, because they are not of sufficient strength and because they are not of proper shape to afford to the bar its necessary property of elasticity. In articles of this kind itis not only'necessary that they shall be of sufficient rigidity to stand the strain to which they are subjected, but that they should be sufficiently elastic to yield somewhat when the strain is very great, and when the strain is relieved they should spring back into their original shape.

It is the object of my invention to produce articles of this kind which shall possess all these desirable features, combining the greatest strength with lightness of weight and elasticity. To this end I make them of steel bars provided with longitudinal flanges or ribs, these bars being formed, preferably, by rolling, so that the flanges shall taper from a point or points at or near the middle toward the ends. The flanges give the bar great strength without undue increase in weight, and the tapering form hereinafter described, together with the flanges, imparts the desired elasticity. In order that the strength of the bar shall not be diminished, I prefer to red u co the flanges of the bar in taperin form from the middle toward the ends, so as to diminish their height or radial dimension without materially diminishing their thickness; and I prefer also .not to reduce the center or core of the bar except near the ends, where it preferably reduced to properly form the eyes of the bar; but otherwise I prefer to have the core of equal thickness throughout the bar,

the flanges only being reduced. After the article has been formed it is preferably hardened and tempered in the usual manner of hardening and tempering steel for springs. The purpose of this is to increase the elasticity.

Many forms of steel bar maybe used for the purpose of my invention, and I have shown a number of them in the drawings,but do not desire to limit myself strictly thereto.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure is a plan view of one of my improved singletrees. Irig. is a verticalcross-section on the line .r of Fig. 1. Fig. :3 is a section on the line y g of Fig. 1. Figs. l, 5, and G are crosssectional views of modified forms of bar embodying my invention. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section on the lines ,2 2 of Figs. 2 and 3.

Like symbols of reference indicate like parts in each.

I11 the manufacture of these articles I first take a bar of steel of the character of which I have described and shown, and having out it into suitable lengths, I roll it or otherwise form it into the shape shown in Fig. 1, so that the flanges or ribs shall taper in one only of their cross-sectional dimensions, preferably in height and not in thickness, though they maybe reduced in thickness but notin height with good results. This taper extends from a point or points at or near the middle of the bar 2 toward the ends, the core or center of the bar being preferably unredueed, except at the ends. The ends of the bar are partially bent to form eyes 3, for the purpose of holding the hooks by which the chains are fastened to the bar. The article is then hardened and tempered in the manner usually practiced in harden in and tempering steel spri n The elevis i is then shrunk on at themiddle of the bar, and, the. extreme ends of the bar having been heated, the pal-tially-formed eyes .3 are closed around the usual chain hooks or ri ngs, 5, as shown in Fig. l. The article is then complete and ready for use. That part of the clevis which is shrunk or compressed on the bar is a. somewl'iat broad band of iron, and the shrinking of it on at this placc,where the greatest strain comes in use, strengthens the bar and greatly increases its efiiciency.

The advantages of my improvement have been demonstrated by practical use and experlence, and I have found that articles made as I have described are much lighter than Wooden articles of the same strength, are much neater, more durable, and by reason of their elasticity they relieve the horses from the great strain of starting with heavy loads without the use of separate tug-springs or other appliances.

By reference to the figures of the drawings it will be seen that the metal bars which I show are all substantially the same, in that they are all radially and longitudinally flanged or ribbed. In making them into the desired tapering form all of the flanges may be tapered, as shown in Fig. 1, or only one of the flanges may be tapered; or, if desired, two or any number of the flanges less than the whole may be tapered.

I am aware that iron of the same shape in cross-section as that I have shown and described has been mentioned in a prior patent, No. 243,730, as being desirable for use in the construction of vehicle-axles for the purpose of making them strong and light. My invention, however, is altogether different from this, because the metal bar which I use is not the same in form, being tapered from at or near the middle toward the ends, while the vehicle-axleis of constant thickness, except at the extreme ends, where it fits within the spindles. Besides this, the conditions of use to which the articles are put are altogether different, the axle being designed to be of the greatest possible rigidity and strength, while I form my bars to secure articles possessing the greatest possible elasticity consistent with the degree of strength requisite for the purpose for which the articles are to be used.

I am also aware that it has been proposed to make vehicle-springs of longitudinally and radially flanged steel bars, the whole of the bar, both flanges and core, being reduced in thickness and width from the middle toward the ends. This, however, would unduly weaken the bar, and I do not claim the same broadly, even as applied to singletrees, 850.; but my invention consists, broadly speaking, in a vehicle-iron of the nature described, which is tapered from at or near the middle less than the Whole, for the purpose of giving the necessary elasticity Without impairing the strengththat is to say, the core may be tapered, leaving the flanges tapered in only one dimension, or the flanges may be tapered in one dimension and not in the other, whether the core be tapered or not.

I do not limit my invention to its application to any particular style or shape of singletrees, doubletrees, or neck-yokes, except as stated in the claims. Any desired pattern or style may be made according to my invention, and any suitable fittings may be applied to them.

' I clai1n- 1. A vehicle-iron of the nature described consistin g of a radially and longitudinally webbed 0r flanged steel bar, the flanges of which are reduced in height but not in thickness from at or near the middle of the bar toward its ends, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. A vehicle-iron of the nature described consisting of a radially and longitudinally webbed or flanged steel bar, the flanges of which are gradually reduced in one only of the cross-sectional dimensions from at or near the middle toward the ends, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. A vehicle-iron of the nature described consisting of a radially and longitudinally webbed or flanged steel bar, the flanges of which are reduced, the core of the bar being of substantially the same dimension for a considerable portion of its length, substantially as and for the purposes described.

et. A vehicle-iron of the nature described consisting of a radially and longitudinally webbed or flanged steel bar having a clevisband set thereon at the middle, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 1st day of June, A. D. 1888.

EDMONDS J. sUeDEN.

. \Vitnesses:

W. B. CORWIN, H h THOMAS W. BAKEWELL. 

